To George Washington from Benjamin Franklin, 8 September 1776
From Benjamin Franklin
Philada Sept. 8. 1776
Sir
The Congress having appointed Mr Adams, Mr Rutledge & my self, to meet Lord Howe, and hear what Propositions he may have to make, we purpose setting out to-morrow, and to be at Perth Amboy on Wednesday morning, as you will see by the enclosd, which you are requested immediately to forward to his Lordship;1 and if an Answer comes to your hands, that you would send it to meet us at Amboy. What we have heard of the Badness of the Roads between that Place & New York, makes us wish to be spar’d that part of the Journey. With great Respect & Esteem, I have the honour to be, Sir, Your Excy’s most obedt & most humble Servant
B. Franklin
ALS, CtY.
1. For the appointment of this committee, see GW to Hancock, 31 Aug., n.5, and Hancock to GW, this date, n.2. Franklin’s enclosed letter to Lord Howe of this date informs Howe that the committee would be at Perth Amboy about nine o’clock in the morning on Wednesday 11 Sept. and requests him to set a time and place for a meeting to discuss his peace proposals (see , 22:591–93). GW conveyed that letter to Howe with a brief covering letter on 9 Sept., and the next day Howe replied to GW, asking him to forward his answer to Franklin, in which he says that he would meet the committee on 11 Sept. “at the house on Staten Island opposite to Amboy, as early as the few conveniencies for travelling by land on Staten Island will admit” (see GW to Howe, 9 Sept., and Howe to GW, 10 Sept., both in DLC:GW, and Howe to Franklin, 10 Sept., in , 22:597–98). For the results of the meeting, see Edward Rutledge to GW, 11 September.